Making Memories of Us: A Naruto & Lee Love Story
by kufan001
Summary: The love story of my OC and Naruto as well as my bff's OC and Lee! Leaving Konoha under Gaara's orders, Tori went to visit her friend Emi in Konoha. Little did she expect to find love! Meanwhile, Emi deals with her enslavement by the Akatsuki. Rated M for implied rape, self-harm, alcohol abuse and mild lime taste. Pairings: Lee X OC and Naruto X OC. Review?
1. Prologue: Reluctance

Prologue: Reluctance

"No, you can't stay here. You have no one to take care of you with your parents… gone," the lean, pale, red-head insisted.  
>"With all due respect, Kazekage-sama, I don't need any one to take care of me. I am almost 16 years old," I spat coldly, trying to hide the concern for my parents. They had disappeared on their latest mission, and no one had received any word on if they were okay or not. I was convinced that they wouldn't be coming back.<br>"Be that as it may, you cannot stay by yourself. Do you have any family members you can stay with?" he asked, concerned.  
>"No, sir," I growled. It was the truth; my parents were the only family I had, but I never really was bothered by it; it was no big deal. I mean, it's hard to miss people you've never met.<br>"Hm," mused Gaara deep in thought, his wide sea foam green eyes flashing like frozen fire, clouded over his thoughts.

After a while, he finally said, "I have a plan, but I know you're not going to like it…" I twitched nervously at his tone.

"Yes, Gaara-sama?" I knew this wasn't going to be good.

"I am going to send you to Konoha. Many people I trust are there. They can take care of you while the ANBU do their best to find your parents."  
>"K-Konoha?" I stuttered, trembling inwardly, "That's three days worth of travel… and although I do appreciate the fact you are doing all you can to find my parents, I can't just leave Suna! There is no way I could leave you, Kazekage-sama..."<br>"You have no one to take care of you, Tori-san," he said calmly.

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><p>Alone in my room, I started packing my things. I figured that you don't argue with the Kazekage. They generally seem like they know what they are doing. I stress the word 'generally.'<br>As I sat there, folding my plain clothes, mumbling to myself, trying to find something positive of having to leave my village because my parents left me alone. I've never done well at seeing the good in anything, but this was different. I shook my head, doing the best I could to remove it of all negativity… which proved to be impossible, because I've always been kind of a 'downer.'

_"C'mon, stop it, you moron! Quit sitting around feeling sorry for yourself! You make me sick,_" I yelled at myself.

_"Maybe it won't be so bad…"_ I thought, sitting there gloomily. I knew I was horrible at convincing myself once I put my mind to how I 'knew' it was going to turn out.

_"Think! You could make friends…"_

_"Yeah, and you have SO many friends here,"_ I snarled back at myself in my mind. Seconds later, I heard a knock on the door.

"Whether or not you come in or stand outside like a fool makes no difference to me," I responded bitterly. The door opened, and in walked a wiry shinobi that I didn't recognize.

"Tori-san, Lord Kankuro is outside waiting for you. He and I will be escorting you to Konoha." It seemed he tried to try to comfort me, by giving me a weak smile.

"I'll be down in a minute," I said, trying to return the kindness, but I was too frustrated. He closed the door, leaving me to myself. I slipped four shuriken and six kunai knives into the pouch I had strapped to my thigh, secured my scroll into my backpack, walked over to the door and automatically touched three doorposts and floor, allowing for a rare moment of sentimentality, took one last look at my room, and left.  
>As promised, Kankuro was waiting for me with the other shinobi I had met earlier.<p>

"Ah! There you are Tori," called Kankuro. "You ready to leave?"

"Could I ever be ready? I know it's not like I am gone for good, but… I don't want to go, Kankuro…"

He gave me a brotherly hug. "I know, Tori, but Gaara always knows what the best thing to do in tough situations like these is. He is always thinking of his people."

The way he put it almost totally convinced me.

"And, I'll do my best to visit whenever I can," he said, smiling.

"Let's go."


	2. Chapter 1: Secrets

Hi all! I wanted to give a shout-out to our wonderful, fantastic beta reader, Kanryu! Thank you for taking our story to new heights! Also, thank you to our 1st reviewer, LeexSaku Rocks! Thank you for being a fan! :3

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Secrets<span>

Emi and Naruto walked arm-in-arm to their favorite date spot, the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

"What is this friend of yours from Suna like, Emi-chan?" the curious blonde ninja inquired.

"Well, she is about my height, has auburn red hair, and azure blue eyes. She actually looks a lot like Gaara-sama, come to think about it. She acts like him too," his blonde-haired, green-eyed girlfriend smiled cutely at him.

"Great! I'm gonna make a new friend, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed in happiness.

"I hope so, Naruto-kun," Emi replied while taking his hand gently in hers.

"Let's go home, Emi-hime," the blonde teen said. She had lived with him since the night she confessed she loved him. Naruto paid Ayame for the ramen, and the perfect couple of Konoha walked back to their small, but cozy apartment. Little did they know that one was hiding a secret that traumatized them?

~Flashback~

_"Ie… please Orochimaru-sama, don't do this…" whimpered his now-13-year-old victim._

_"You are a woman now, Emi. It's time for you to be treated like one," the snake-like man stated while undressing himself and the new teenager in front of him, licking his lips._

_"You are going to love this, you b****. You have practically been daring me to take it since we kidnapped you," he whispered into her ear while nibbling on her earlobe._

_"GET OFF ME!" a 13-year-old Emi yelled as she hit and kicked her attacker in an attempt to stop his taking of her innocence. Orochimaru slapped her hard across the cheek._

_"Resist and it will only be worse," Orochimaru said as he brought her to her knees with one move._

_"Don't make me use kunais, Emi," he said. She spat on him. She hoped he was bluffing about using kunais to hurt her, but to no avail. He carved 3 lines on her cheeks like her best friend in the whole world, Naruto Uzumaki. Tears mixed with blood ran down her face like rivers. The snake-like man easily held her wrists in his hands and forced her face against the wall so her back was towards him. Orochimaru pinned her hands above her with one hand as his other trailed town to her most forbidden area. Tears came to her eyes when he reached it. She squirmed in an attempt to get him off of her, knowing full where this was going._

_"Please don't…" she sobbed as his attack was all but to begin…_

~End Flashback~

"Emi-hime, are you ok?" Her boyfriend looked at her with his azure blue eyes filled with concern as they walked. Naruto only used '-hime' when he was worried about her.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, just daydreaming," she lied quickly.

"I'm tired, I think I'm going to take a shower when we get home and go to bed, ok?" she said, smiling gently at him. Only three people in the entire world knew Emi's secret; the three women she trusted unconditionally. Tsunade found the physical evidence in the bruises, cuts and scars in the delicate areas of her body. Emi and Sakura were best friends since their Academy and she knew Sakura would never tell anyone something so serious, and Tori had been with her throughout the years she was held captive. After Tsunade finished her check-up (at the insistence of Naruto), Emi told Sakura everything that happened to her over the past 2½ years.

~Flashback~

_The small blonde flinched as her attacker caressed her face. _

_"Tell anyone what happened, and they won't believe you. Everyone knows what took place here, and none of them care," the snake-like man hissed as he was leaving. She curled up in the now-blood-soaked rags she had to use as sheets and cried herself quietly to sleep. _

_After a restless sleep, she saw a man with raven-black hair and red eyes come in her cell. Those features… they reminded her of someone… someone that caused her and others in Konoha a lot of grief. However, the girl had more pressing matters on her hands at the moment. The petite, fair-haired teenager scampered as far back into the corner of the cell as possible instinctually._

_He spoke in a deep, rich voice that somehow made the scared little girl feel at ease. _

_"I'm not here to hurt you, Emi. I know what Orochimaru did to you last night... and I also know that you're not a little girl anymore." _

_This made her eyes widen with fear. _

_"I have a pill for you to take. It will prevent any… unwanted complications."_

_Emi knew exactly what he meant, not only from her short time as a medic-nin of Konoha, but as a young woman. _

_"You… you're Uchiha Itachi aren't you?" she asked._

~End Flashback~


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting

Hi all! Just a note: this chapter is in Lee's point of view... yeah, we were tired when we wrote it. ^_^ Anyway, hope you enjoy! Once again, shout out to our awesome Beta Kanryu and 2nd reviewer, moreaticcandy!

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Meeting<span>

"Sakura-chan, please? Just one night? I will make the date worth your time, I promise," I pleaded, ignoring how pathetic I sounded.

"Lee, um, it's very sweet of you to offer, but, sorry, I am just not interested," but it still did not lessen the impact.

"Maybe some other time then?" I asked once more, refusing to give up.

"Um, I'll think about it," she sighed, defeated.

That gave me more reason to continue asking her, which was enough for me. She turned away and left. Just then, I looked out into the distance and saw three figures standing outside the village gates. I recognized the tall young man in the dark hood with the purple markings on his face, and the wiry shinobi wearing a Hidden Sand Village head band must be a subordinate of his, but who was that girl with them? Why was Lord Kankuro here? I watched as she followed behind Kankuro-san, looking down at the ground. She studied the area cautiously, then turned to him and mumbled something that sounded like, "It's too green."

I jogged up to them to find out what was going on. She was the first of their group to notice I was coming. She looked at me and cocked her head in a questioning way, and gave me a crooked smile which was so infectious; I could not help but grin back at her.

"Good morning Kankuro-san! What are you doing here in Konoha?" I asked, probably looking incredibly confused. He turned to the small shaggy headed girl with dark blue eyes.

"Tori-san, this is Rock Lee," he said ignoring my questions. She looked up at me; well, it did not feel like she was looking at me, but through me. It was a very strange feeling. She flashed a toothy smile and stuck out her hand for me to shake it.

"Pleased to meet you, handsome," she said with a slight, good-natured growl. I must have looked a little nervous at that particular greeting, because she laughed loudly and slapped me on the back.

"Don' worry, I won't bite, silly boy!"

Kankuro shook his head with a disapproving air, then turned to me and said, "Lee, I really have to go. Can you take Tori to Tsunade-sama? She's expecting her a little later than we got here, because we traveled faster than I expected."

I looked at him with a questioning look. "Do not worry, Tsunade already knew she was coming. Gaara sent word to her," and then he turned and walked away quickly. I looked down at the stocky young red-head, who was watching him and his subordinate run away from the front gate sadly. Kankuro tried to turn back and look at her one last time, but he knew he wouldn't be able to because it would be hard for him to leave her there, so he put on a burst of speed and disappeared.


	4. Chapter 3: Reunion

Chapter 3: Reunion

Emi and Naruto walked arm-in-arm towards the gates of Konoha; both excited to see Emi's friend Tori. When she saw the auburn hair on the horizon, Emi broke into a run.

"EMI-ONEECHAN!" she heard her blue-eyed friend say.

"Hey, Tori-oneesan!" Emi responded with equal enthusiasm as they hugged. "Tori-oneesan, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Uzumaki Naruto, my boyfriend." She gestured towards the smiling, blond ninja beside her.

"Good to meet you, Tori-chan! Emi-hime has told me so much about you."

"Good to meet ya, Blondie!" Tori exclaimed. "Gaara-sama told me about you too, Naruto-san. He told me everything you did for him; how you inspired him to change."

Naruto put his hand behind his head and smiled, blushing slightly. "It was nothing."

"And I believe you've already met Rock Lee." Emi saw a slight blush appear on the green-clad ninja's face, and a big grin and blush on her friends.

'_This is going to be an interesting few months,'_ she thought to herself as she pondered how to get her two friends together.

"Well, Tsunade-sama is expecting you soon, Tori-chan. Let's go!" Emi interjected happily.

"_Hai_!" Naruto and Tori replied in unison. Emi giggled and they set off toward the Hokage building.


	5. Chapter 4: Surprises

And here's chapter 4! It's in Tori's point of view. Thanks again to our wonderful beta reader Kanryu! You rock!

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Surprises<span>

The four of us stood in the Hokage's office, accompanied by Lee's mentor, 'Gai-sensei', as he was fondly referred to by his students. He was well known in Konoha for the ridiculous jumpsuit he always sported. Obviously, he could not grasp onto the fact of how… inappropriate it looked. The Hokage herself sat at her desk, pressing the tips of her fingers together and furrowing her flawless brows. Emi stood next to her respectfully. The blonde haired woman studied me thoroughly, and looked over my shoulder at Gai. She sighed deeply. I knew before the words even came out of her mouth that I wasn't going to necessarily like what she had to say. I was about to hear the impending 'punishment', but I remembered hearing from Gaara himself that although she had a good heart, she had a monstrous personality, even worse than me. I bit my tongue.

"Tori-san, I have decided that since you will be staying with us in Konoha for a while, you will be assigned to a team, as well as being given a place to stay with a shinobi in our village." Wonderful, not only do I have to be teamed up with a group of strangers, but now I have to room with one. Hell, with my luck, I'll be paired up with some horny jerk with one thing on his mind.

"If that's the case, I'll skin the fool alive and dance on his grave." The thought made me grin sadistically and lick my lips. I probably looked like a hungry lioness that just found a fresh kill. I guess this is why many people say I look and act like the Kazekage. I suppose the both of us are of a… darker mentality. Emi looked at me, probably wondering why I was smirking like the Cheshire cat himself.

"I decided that the best team to assign you to is Team Gai," Tsunade said.

_'Well, that would explain HIM,'_ I thought glaring at Gai out of the corner of my eye.

"Finding a place for you to stay was a more difficult matter, however, I think I found a suitable roommate."

I bit my tongue harder and tasted the familiar taste of liquid iron that I loved so much, mentally running though the ways to obliterate any happy-handed young ninja who was thinking with the "wrong brain" that tried to—her train of thought was interrupted by the Hokage.

"Rock Lee."

"Huh?" I looked up, totally confused from being torn out of my wicked, perverse daydreams, most of which ended with my horny attacker lying in his own blood, being picked clean by some feral animal. It was a thought that excited me. Tsunade looked at me disapprovingly.

"Rock Lee, Tori-san, you are going to be living with Lee."

I looked up at him and studied his sharp facial features. He tried to make eye contact, but ended up looking down as his feet. A dark blush covered his cheeks. I was almost disappointed. I got myself all excited for a young man who won't even hold my gaze, let alone touch me in any way, erotically or otherwise. He is too innocent, and I doubted the thoughts of women (and what comes with them) that most males have at his age had ever occurred to him. He obviously had no physical desire for a companion in that particular aspect that most hormone-crazed males craved so much to the point it was pathetic and sickening, but increasingly amusing to watch as it inevitably brought them down. I had heard from Emi that he was 'in love' with Sakura, but he didn't seem like he wanted the 'physical' part of love, only a mental-reaffirmation that he was cared about strongly in a positive way. That was a refreshing change from what I was used to, but I was still disappointed. Not that I wanted him to touch me, or even think of me in that way, of course. It was a pleasant idea that I may find love in Konoha, but pleasant ideas are often terminated by unpleasant realities. I was only looking forward to a kill, but that aside, he was probably the… safest male to room with, but it was safe not to assume that he was good. Never assume, and never trust. Misreading people is dangerous.

_'He is handsome… but I barely know him. Why did I have to act like such a flirt earlier? I don't want to lead him on… But now I will be living with him… dear God this is going to be hell. She couldn't have paired up two more different people,'_ I thought to myself and cursed my luck silently. Gai slapped the nervous-looking Lee on the back, then slung one of his strong arms around my shoulders, and pulled me close to him. I jumped back and tried to pull away, not liking the mixed-messaged he was sending me.

He laughed good-naturedly, not noticing how odd I found this random and unrestrained display of fatherly affection, then said, "Welcome to Team Gai," and smiled brightly.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, but his death trap-like arms didn't allow it. "P-please let go sensei," I squeaked. Squeaked? I never acted so spineless! He laughed harder then let me go. Lee smiled, saluting his way-too-friendly teacher, as I bared my teeth at him slightly. Emi-oneechan and Naruto walked to the door and escorted us out, following behind us. I saw Emi grin and shake her head as Lee held the door open for me.


	6. Chapter 5: Confidential

Hi there! Chapter 5 here! Thanks to Kanryu for Beta'ing this! Oh, I apologize if we jump around points of view sometimes... This started out totally different and we kinda used what we'd already written! This chapter is in 3rd person. Enjoy! ^_^

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Confidential<span>

Emi and Naruto walked together hand-in-hand behind the black-haired, green-clad ninja and his new red-headed new roommate. Naruto could tell that something was on his girlfriend's mind; the distant look in her eyes told him so. _"I wonder why she's been acting so distant lately…"_ Naruto's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Lee's voice.

"Well, Tori-san, Naruto-san, Emi-chan, here we are. It's not much, but it's home," Lee said humbly with a slight blush. The gang entered a neat, modest-sized apartment with one twin-sized bed (covered with green comforters, of course). On the wall, bedside table, and a coffee table there were pictures of Lee and a man who looked almost identical to him, and on the table and some other walls there were pictures of what Tori assumed was his team. On the left-hand side of the picture, there was a boy with long brown—almost black—hair, with eyes that were a pale lavender-blue, blank and emotionless. On the right, there was a girl who was smiling happily, with brown hair up in buns on either side of her head and brown eyes, wearing a pink kimono.

"Lee-kun, who are the people in this picture?" the inquisitive red-head asked.

"Oh! Those are my teammates. The boy on the left is Neji-san. He's a good friend, but kind of cold; hard to get to know at first. On the right is Ten-Ten-chan. She is one of the toughest girls you'll ever meet; very kind-hearted and protective."

"HEY!" a loud, energetic voice came from beside the short, blonde-haired girl. "Sakura-chan is the toughest girl in Konoha!" His green-eyed girlfriend glared at him dangerously. "Hehe, after you of course, Emi-hime," the azure-blue eyed teen smiled sheepishly.

"Nice save there, Naruto," Tori chimed in. "But even though she may be the toughest girl in Konoha, but I am the toughest girl in Suna," the stocky red-head said smugly, crossing her arms, and giving a stubborn crooked smile. "So, what's everyone else like?"

Emi smiled. "Well, let's see… on Team 7 there's Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Of course, you already know Naruto. Sakura is a lot like me, actually, but her temper is worse, and she's not as gentle. Kakashi is a very kind and very loyal to those he cares about. I lived with him for a bit after he and Naruto saved me, because he was like a father to me. Him and his books though…" shuddered as she finished. Tori cocked her head and looked curious.

"What do you…? Oh, never mind. I'm just going to regret asking anyway," she brushed the question aside and started unpacking the clothes in her bag, and pulled out a thick book full of paper and dog-eared pages.

Then she pulled out a pencil and sat down on the floor. Lee stared at her as she used her thumb to push open the leather book.

"Sit," the small redhead asked looking up at the both of them, and they accepted the offer.

"That's right," Emi recalled, "you like drawing, don't you?" Tori smiled and nodded her head without looking up from her sketchbook. She stretched and shifted so she was lying on her stomach.

Lee watched intently over her shoulder and asked somewhat shyly, "May I see what you have been working on?"

"Me too!" said Naruto smiling, "Emi wants to see, too!"

Tori handed the scratched up book to Naruto, who was making little sounds of surprise and excitement as he flipped through the pages.

"Amazing! How did you learn to draw like this…?" Naruto stopped immediately, his eyes widening in fear and confusion. He turned the book to show Tori. It was a picture of a nine-tailed fox, in all his destructive glory.

"What… what is this, Tori-chan?"

"Mmm? Oh, that," she said, tapping the page, "is Kyuubi-sama, the older, stronger brother to Shukaku-sama." She said it as if it was nothing. "I understand you are quite familiar with him, Naruto." He looked as if he had been hit, and clutched his stomach. She looked at him with concern. "Naruto? Listen to me, nii-san."

_"Nii-san,"_ thought Naruto, _"she knows and still calls me 'brother'? She doesn't even know me, but she still accepts me, even with this… monster?"_

"I don't care about that at all, onii-san. As long as you are taking care of Emi-oneechan, you are still my brother," she grinned madly, "so you better treat her well, or I'll make all those beatings from Sakura look like a friendly little game of tag. If you manage to best me, I would rather have my insides used to decorate the walls of this city, before I would let myself see my sister hurt because of you." Naruto stared at the odd young woman, who was grinning back at him wickedly.

"You're weird, you know that?"

"Says the boy who shares his body with a fox demon."

"Good point," he said with a laugh.


	7. Chapter 6: Blood Brothers

Chapter 6: Blood Brothers

The short little redhead tagged along a few steps behind the group. She walked slowly but steadily, her bare feet padding along the dirt road silently. Tori almost always walked barefoot. That was one of the strange things about her Lee had noticed since she arrived earlier today, like she never walked in front of anyone, and would occasionally burst into fits of loud, boisterous, unrestrained laughter for no reason what so ever. He turned around to get a better look at her. She was gruff and rugged looking, but somewhat attractive. Large, kind eyes studied her. She was squarely built, with slight curves, and shaggy shoulder-length hair. She looked up over the rims of her glasses, flashing her feral, penetrating eyes at me, smiling coldly, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk.  
>"Oi, what ya lookin' at, Sexy?"<p>

He looked at her, both surprised at what she had called him, and the informal tone she had spoken to him in.

"What?" Lee said nervously, feeling like the young woman had said something seriously embarrassing.

She bowed sarcastically, "Oh, please forgive my rough tongue, Green Prince, I was just wondering what you were looking at me for," she said waving her hand with mock formality.  
>"Onee-chan," Emi said, giving her a look and punching her in the arm playfully, "try to be nice!"<br>"Aww, you're no fun," the red-head complained with a stubborn pout. "Eh, well what's this?" she said sniffing the air.  
>"Ah! Your friends are right up the path."<br>"Woah! She has as good a nose as Kiba," Naruto called in surprise.  
>"Kiba… That is one of the team members we are going to visit—" she said as she was promptly tackled by a huge white puppy. She fell backwards, laughing happily, tumbling over the playful dog. She got on all fours and play growled and nibbled Akamaru's ear. Emi laughed as she watched the mass of fur and red hair rolling around on the ground like a miniature hurricane. Lee couldn't help but realize how beautiful she was, not to mention how similar she looked to Akamaru, as strange as it sounded. She smiled happily as she growled at the dog. That was when he noticed how sharp her teeth looked. He wasn't sure how to react to this change, but she didn't seem to be alarmed by it. She looked up at him, looking a little bit hurt and confused. Lee must have looked frightened by her appearance. She reached up to see what he had been staring at, and pressed on the edge of one of her fang-like teeth, leaving a thin trail of blood on her thumb.<p>

"Ah, I-I am sorry," she said licking the blood off the cut and covering her mouth. Emi patted her on the shoulder.  
>"Nee-chan, there isn't any reason for you to be ashamed of yourself," she said kindly, gently taking Tori's hand from her mouth.<p>

Naruto cocked his head. "What just happened?" he asked looking confused. The little red-head picked herself up and dusted off her tattered jeans.  
>"Let's just say… I haven't quite got the hang of my jutsu," she said with a look on her face that expressed her humiliation and anger.<br>_'I wonder why she feels so anxious about her jutsu...'_ he thought. Trying to console her, Lee put his hand on her shoulder. As soon as he did, she pulled away, putting up an invisible barrier between the two. Lee wasn't trying to do anything but comfort her, but from the way she drew into herself protectively told him that she assumed that I was not trying to make her feel more at ease.  
>"Um... let's go meet Kiba, Hinata, and Shino, Tori-san," Naruto suggested, attempting to break the awkward silence around them.<br>"'Kay," Tori said nodding quietly, with the big white dog trailing behind her.

Seeing as it was getting dark, the four friends walked towards Lee's modest apartment. As they finally made it to the front door, Tori grace Emi a friendly hug.

"Good night Emi, Naru-kun."  
>"G'night Tori chan, Lee-kun," the blonde kunoichi chimed as she and Naruto made their way across the street to their own apartment. Emi saw the look in Tori's eyes before she turned away. It was like the usually happy, easy-going girl was waiting in line for a seat in an electric-chair. "It's okay; he's a very nice guy," Emi mouthed silently, giving her a comforting look.<p>

"I know," she said back, looking down at her feet with a tiny crooked smile. She clearly knew a secret. Emi wondered what the little redhead could possibly know about Lee that she didn't know herself, but she decided to leave it alone.  
>"Go on, go catch up with Naru-kun," she said waving her on. The two blondes walked across the street, and Emi flashed Tori a smile before following Naruto inside and closing the door. Lee turned away from the door to see Tori standing there, staring at the single, neatly made bed. The two looked at each other, turning shades of red.<p>

"…Well… This is awkward," Tori said trying to add some humor to the uncomfortable thought.

"Um, do not worry about it. I can take the floor," Lee offered chivalrously.

"Oh, no you're not! Haven't you heard, Bushy Brows, chivalry is dead, more dead than a two week old carcass rotting in the sun!"

Lee looked highly offended.

"Look, never mind, I'll take the floor. Don't start with me. It's been a long day, and I have no patience for stupid antics," she growled poking him in the chest.  
>Lee looked down, almost ashamed. Why did this girl have such a silencing effect on him? Usually he was very outspoken, not unlike a certain orange-dressed comrade of his.<p>

"Here," she said tugging the blankets off the bed. "How's this?" she yanked the covers and sheets off and spread them out on the floor.  
>"I still feel you should take the bed, but this is a suitable compromise."<br>"Thanks, but just pretend I'm not here. Go on with life as you would without me. I feel bad enough that you are stuck with me, dude."  
>"Oh it's nothing! You seem really... umm... nice!"<br>She laughed. "You're awful at lying!"


	8. Chapter 7: Bang

Chapter 7: Bang

She woke up early, hours before the sun had peaked over the horizon. For her, this wasn't a big deal, because she always had trouble sleeping. Groggy and tired, she laid back down on her pillow. Almost immediately, her eyes snapped open when she realized she had been snuggled down with her head on his chest. She scooted back over to her actual pillow nervously. She sat there, watching him sleep. He looked so sweet and content.

_ 'Lucky he's not a light sleeper'_, she thought, smiling. She felt overwhelmed with happiness. He looked so adorable. She leaned forward slowly, getting ready to give him a kiss without even thinking. She touched noses with him gently enough not to wake him up.

_ 'What am I doing?'_ she thought. Suddenly it felt like she was tearing out of her skin. Her bones shifted to accommodate the changes. She choked on a scream, and clawed at her heart. Such burning, horrible, aching pain!

"Gotta—Gotta get out," she groaned pathetically. Feeling her flesh splitting apart, she struggled to get to her feet, and nearly collapsed on her way out the door. She sunk to her knees and screamed until her throat was raw. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she covered her face in her bear-like heavy paws, tipped with razor-sharp claws.

"Tori? Where are you?" the boy groaned sleepily, missing his little, sweet, beautiful... "Gah! What am I thinking? I need to get her back!"

In her new form, she moved faster than she ever could have before. She bolted instinctively on all fours, her long thick tail thumping the ground as she ran to the nearest training area.

"I can't let him see me like this," Tori growled to herself. She hid in the shadows, breathing heavily from the long distance she had run. As she tried to catch her breath, she heard the sound of footsteps moving at an impossible speed. She scrambled wildly up the nearest tree. The figure stopped and sat down dejectedly.

"Where are you Tori?" the voice asked, sounding sad and confused. She knew that voice. She loved that voice.

_ 'Lee?'_ she thought, feeling humiliated and trapped. _'Well, it's not like he's going to recognize me like this,'_ she thought as she climbed down from the tree. Lee turned sharply as he heard a heavy dull thump coming from behind him. He turned quickly towards the sound and bumped heads with a huge beast. Even on all fours, it towered ten, twenty feet over his head. Lee's eyes grew as he took in the creature's size. The animal's ears drooped sadly, and made a loud huffing noise, not unlike a sigh. Lee backed away from the creature slowly.

"Uh, hello there," he said nervously. He studied the beast. It didn't look as dangerous as he thought at first. It looked friendly enough, although it probably could swallow two shinobi whole… It didn't look hungry though, which may or may not be a good thing. No wonder there had been reports of so much livestock disappearing. He shuddered, never feeling more afraid of anything in his life. The huge creature shrunk back, and ducked back behind the tree.

"Oh no, no, it is okay, I won't hurt you, do not be afraid," he said soothingly.

_ 'As if whatever this thing is should be afraid of me,'_ he shook his head at the humorous thought. The shadowy beast peeked out from behind the tree, not taking his kindness seriously.

"Come here, yeah, that is it. Good girl, good girl…" He wasn't quite sure of its gender, it looked feminine enough, and it didn't look offended, like it might have if it had its gender confused. Lee put his hand out to show he meant no harm. Peeping out from behind the tree, she watched his every move. It blinked, looking surprised, and cocked its enormous head. It graciously put its chin on the forest floor, so he would be able to reach. Lee cautiously scratched the animal behind its ears. It rolled its eyes back in its head and made a loud, content purring noise. Its leg twitched, thumping on the ground in a state of uncontrolled primal satisfaction.

"You like that?" he asked laughing quietly as it nuzzled him, almost knocking him over with its muzzle. Lee suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. He knew this creature from before. It blinked at him curiously, its icy cold eyes shone in the darkness sadly.

"What are you, and where did you come from?" He asked it, not getting an answer, but not expecting to either. It held him gently, licking the side of his face.

"What are you doing—" he started as the tip of its tongue found its way into his mouth. He bit down in surprise, feeling sort of sick and dizzy. At first, he was sure it was because she had scared him, but then he knew it was something other than fear. She had somehow poisoned him. He could hear his heart beating in his ears.

"What is this? What did you do to me?" A warm and pleasurable, albeit painful, feeling came over him.

'_This creature is going to kill me… I wonder… Will it tear me apart, or just swallow me whole_,' he thought. The last time he felt this weak and helpless was… his fight with Gaara. Why was he remembering this? Foggy, blurred images danced, jumped, twisted and flashed across his fevered memory. Images… images of Gaara, lying on his back, breathing weakly, glaring at him, wielding his sand with the intent to kill. Pain… Pain in his arm, pain in his leg. He felt himself being lifted onto a stretcher… He heard voices… the voices of his teacher and the Hokage. The door shut softly, the lights went out. He was left to himself. Minutes later, the door opened again. Whoever had come into his room was as silent as a shadow. A warm hand pressed its palm to his forehead.

_ 'Just a nurse,'_ he thought, hoping against hope that it was Sakura, even though he highly doubted it. He knew it from the beginning, a girl that pretty would never waste her time with him, of all people.

"Idiot boy," he heard the intruder mumble like it was fretting over a small child. Definitely not Sakura. He never heard her express this kind of compassion to him.

"Going up against Gaara? You must be crazy. You're lucky to be alive," the voice continued.

"I know you're awake. I'm not stupid. If you were asleep, your breathing would be slower," it said sounding annoyed, running its fingers through his hair. Definitely not Sakura. He repulsed her in just about every way. _Why_ did he love her when she could care less? He could hear the visitor tearing at a strip of fabric and felt her hands making a bandage to cover his eyes, so she would remain an anonymous visitor. He figured that the cloth was a part of the girl's clothing. It smelled sweet and clean. He tried to remove the bandage with his uninjured hand, but he felt her grab it before he could.

"No, leave it," she growled. He felt nimble fingers tracing the scars on his arms, which left exposed since Tsunade had removed his arm coverings them so she could inspect the damage in entirety. He hated the cuts and stitches and bruises… And who was this girl who was touching them so tenderly? He felt her sit down on the side of the hospital bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tell me who you are."

"How are you feeling?" she repeated as if she never heard him.

"Do I know you?" He asked again, trying to place that voice.

"No. I just wanted to see how bad Gaara had whooped yer butt," she said with a laugh, but there was actual concern in her voice.

"Well then, I appreciate the visit," Lee said with a sarcasm he rarely used, but he felt it was necessary to keep up with her. She moved herself so she was sitting cross-legged with his head in her lap.

"Be more careful next time." He was sure she could hear his heartbeat.

'_Someone… Someone who cares about me! Someone who honestly cares,_' he thought smiling with tears running down his face.

"No one cares about me, but whoever this is really must!"

The sun was just starting to peek over the tops of the tall pine trees. Much to her utter disdain, Tori had accidentally fallen asleep right in a break of the foliage, allowing the sun to shine directly on her face. She groaned sleepily, rubbing her head.

"Ten more minutes, I beg of you," Tori ruffled her red shoulder-length mess of hair and pulled a dead leaf from her shaggy mane. She rolled over and slung her sleeping friend over her broad shoulder like a dead deer. Despite the constant jostling around, Lee slept soundly. Being poisoned would do that to you. It was an accident though. She would never have done that to him on purpose. Tori snickered as she passed by the villagers, getting comical looks from them as they noticed the comatose ninja that was draped over her shoulder.

"Marnin'," she said, waving with her free hand and smiling brightly to the strangers she passed, paying no mind to the extra weight she heaved over her shoulder. A small group of children passed by, being led by a friendly, but strict-looking man with a scar on the bridge of his nose. She caught a glimpse of the kids staring and pointing at the strange spectacle.

"Stay in school, kiddies," she hollered as she walked by them, managing to get a good rise out of the rag-tag group of little soon-to-be shinobi. Finally making it to the apartment, she kicked the door open and put Lee on the bed roughly, giving him a little bit more of a shove than necessary, out of spite. She was surprised to see he continued sleeping, but even more surprised to see him moan and reach out to her, pulling her close. She wanted to chalk it up to the heavy aphrodisiacs in her poison, but still… Her whole body was tense. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

"Get off of me, get off of me now!" she screamed, pushing him off of her. Lee's eyes snapped open.

"Oh dear God, I am so, so, so, sorry! Please forgive me! I did not mean to, I mean—" he stuttered, not quite sure what to say.  
>"Just stay away from me, I don't know what you think you're doing, no, I do! I never should have come here! I want to make it clear to you that I don't like you at all, and if you think you can pull that crap again…" she spat angrily, getting right up in his face, her expression a strange mix of hunger, resistance and blood-lust, and mostly, fear.<p>

"I… will… kill… you. I'll tear you apart. I'll skin you alive. I'll kill you," she whispered madly, like a caged animal in his ear. Lee cringed.

"What did you expect, 'Prince Charming'? Idiot! You scared the poor thing!" Tori saw how upset that made him. It was plain to see he loved her.

_ 'I can't tell him how I really feel. I can't let him get close to me. That would only hurt him…'_ she thought, feeling the slightest pang of regret. Lee looked as if he was about to cry, biting his lower lip.

"Oh jeez, you ain't gonna—" Tori started, but before she could say anything, the proverbial levy burst. He grabbed her and started sobbing over her like a baby.

"I-I am s-so so s-sorry! I r-really d-did not mean a-anything by it, I will do anything, even be used as a dummy for kunai p-practice, just please forgive me!" he sputtered, keeping her in a tight embrace.

She tried to pry herself away from his vice-like grip, but it was like he was stuck in that position. "Okay, okay! Jeez, I'm always stuck with the weird guys… I'll forgive you, as long as you never touch me again," she said as his fingers trailed down the side of her face. His eyes were wide and a dazed, hypnotized look tugged on his usually attentive features.

"Did you hear—" she started. He pressed his mouth to hers. At first it seemed like he was holding back, exploring foreign territory, as it were. He backpedaled at the mistake. She gave him a venomous glare that would send most men running. Just as the awkward young man was about to apologize for his behavior, there was a knock on the door. Lee dashed to the door as fast as he could, attempting to escape the scorching fury of his roommate.

"Oh! Naruto-san! Emi-san! Hello!" Naruto looked at his friend for a second, noting the dark blush that had spread across his face, and the slight bit of sweat on his forehead.

"Uh, what's goin' on, Bushy Brows?"

Emi elbowed her beau hard, but discreetly.

"Ow," he moaned pitifully. "We were just wondering if you guys wanted to hang out. Tori still hasn't had a chance to scope the place out." Emi looked at her friend with apprehension, wondering what could have caused the strange expression on Lee's face. Naruto took the opportunity to instigate a little trouble, nudging his friend.

"We could go to the hot springs," he pressed, making Lee look uncomfortable. The green clad ninja looked at his roommate, who was staring daggers,

"I'll only go if Tori-san goes." She raised an eyebrow angrily.

"You know, that doesn't sound like that bad of an idea," her fair-haired friend pondered. Naruto gave her a sly, fox-like grin. She looked back at him with a hint of shame.

"Please don't stare at me like that," she said her voice barely above a whisper. Lee felt a wave of jealously wash over him.

_ 'Why is it so easy for him to act like that around her? Why can I not act like that with Tori-san…? What is it that makes me so different from him?'_

Naruto wondered what made his lover so upset, but he knew pressing the matter further wouldn't help things.  
>"Fine, we can go to the hot springs… just don't expect me to enjoy it," Tori grumbled. The group then proceeded to walk the mile and a half to the hot springs. Lee somehow felt that something very unnerving was about to happen.<p> 


	9. Chapter 8: Wet

Chapter 8: Wet

Naruto knew by her behavior Emi would be uncomfortable in a mixed onsen, so when they approached the receptionist, he requested separate bathhouses. Emi whispered 'thank you' in his ear and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.  
>"Have a nice time, Naruto-kun! I love you…" she said and waved to him, taking the towels and following her best friend.<br>_ 'How in the world can someone as perfect as him be with someone like me?'_ the blonde scolded herself, holding back tears. _'I'm just something to use and throw away… there's no way he'll stay with me if he knew…'_

"Emi? You ok?" Tori had a feeling she knew what her friend had on her mind. The two sank into the water with a sigh of relief.

"H-Hai, just thinking…" she said softly.

"Want to talk about it?" Tori was concerned about her good friend.

"I've been having more nightmares lately, and Naruto's getting suspicious…" Emi replied, shame hanging off of every word.  
>"Does he know?" the redhead inquired.<br>"Ie… I don't want to tell him… He'll think I'm some whore off the street… He deserves better than me."

"You know that's a load of bull, chickie," Tori said firmly.

Tears welled up in her bright green eyes.

"But…"

"You _know_ he loves you. He needs you as much as you need him," she reaffirmed.

"I'm going to have to tell him… H-He's been acting secretive lately, and his promotion to Hokage is next week… He deserves to know what he's getting into if he wants to stay with me…"

"You can do it, nee-chan. He loves you… You should see the way he looks at you."  
>"He is <em>so<em> good to me… I've never had to tell him to stop… He wants to wait until I'm his wife, and have a family with me… me of all people!"  
>"You should let him know that. Tell him how much you love him!"<br>"I will…" a slight blush appeared across Emi's face.

"Now, let's relax…" Tori suggested.

"Good idea…" and both girls closed their eyes and allowed the hot spring to relax away their stresses.

"So, how is Emi-san, Naruto-san?" Lee inquired politely.

"She's been acting… different lately, actually… Something's worrying her."  
>"What do you think it could be?" Lee was genuinely concerned, and it showed in his expressive eyes.<p>

Naruto sighed defeated. "I honestly have no idea…"  
>"She'll tell you in time," Lee tried to sound confident for his friend, who rarely allowed a melancholy thought.<p>

"Thanks, Lee. Let's just relax…" Naruto tried to end the conversation, preferring to leave such thoughts unspoken.

'_I really wish she would tell me what's going on… I wonder why she feels like she can't tell me… I know I shouldn't bug her about it but I hate seeing her so upset…_'

He massaged his temples as his thoughts were racing. Though she wouldn't like it, he decided that, for her own good, he would ask her what was going on… why she had been waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, screaming…

"Ah, that felt good!" Emi chimed in, lifting herself out of the onsen, wrapping a towel around her petite frame.

"Hmm… I think I'll stay a bit longer," the redhead sighed happily.

"Ok! Enjoy!" the blonde said with a wink.

Naruto "overheard" his girlfriend saying she was getting ready to leave, so he did the same, albeit much faster in order to catch up to her. Lee had long since passed out from the day's exhaustive training.

When he caught up with her, he wrapped his arms around Emi's waist. Thankfully, she was able to sense the chakra due to Sakura's chakra control training. She let out a soft sigh.

"Naruto-kun…" Emi loved when he held her like this… no words, no kissing, just being held close. It made her feel safe, like they were the only two people in the world and nothing could tear them apart.

"Hey, Emi-hime…" he said softly while nuzzling her neck. "Did you enjoy the hot spring?"

"Hai, very much," Emi replied in barely above a whisper, sleepy.

Naruto chuckled softly. "Is my Hime sleepy?"  
>"Hm, yes…" she nuzzled her head into his chest.<p>

"Let's go home…" he said gently, lifting her up bridal style.


	10. Chapter 9: Confessions

Chapter 9: Confessions

Konoha's "perfect couple" walked back to their apartment. Naruto saw the vacant look in her eyes and laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze (she insisted on walking).

"Hime, are you sure you're ok? You seem... distant today."

Emi quickly snapped back into reality. "Oh! G-Gomen nesai1, Naruto-kun... I'm fine, I promise!" She tried to give a convincing smile.

"You can tell me when you're ready, Hime..."

She seriously doubted she'd be able to re-tell her story of being a slave to the Akatsuki members' every desire, being used to fulfill their every fantasy, no matter how sadistic, willing or not (it was always not).

"Please, Naruto..." she begged him silently not to push the subject, and he didn't. What had changed over the years he was training with Jiraya? Had someone hurt her?

When they entered the apartment, Emi went straight for the bathroom. She turned on the shower to hide her quiet sobs as she grabbed the only two things that could ease the pain: a kunai and a large bottle of sake. Slipping into the shower, she allowed herself to slide down against the back of the tub and take a long, deep swig of the drink. Instantly she felt the mind-numbing buzz of alcohol and dragged the kunai along her wrist, making sure not to hit any vital arteries or veins. The thin slice oozed a dark red. She gasped at the pain, but didn't stop.

"Damn you, Orochimaru..." she cursed the sannin for taking what was most precious to a girl. It was cruel, really. She would have to live the rest of her life knowing she was ruined for any other man... for Naruto. Despite the age difference (he was 21, she 16) and the fact that they'd been together only a few months, she loved him. Emi kept whispering that same phrase to herself as she made the cuts deeper into her delicate skin.

When she didn't come out after 45 minutes, Naruto began to get worried when he heard something crashing. He kept knocking on the door with no response. The sight he saw when he kicked down the door nearly made him faint. She lay there, unconscious, with blood in the water and on the walls around her and a bottle of sake shattered into pieces on the floor.

"E-Emi? Oh, Kami…" What happened next is a blur to him. He wrapped her in a towel and carried her bridal style to the bed. He hated to leave her there, but he had to get help and rushed out of the room, screaming for Sakura or Tsunade.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

"It's Emi! S-she—I don't know what happened, but come quickly!"

"Take me to her!"

When they entered the room, Emi looked even paler than she had before.

"Oh, Kami... Ok, Naruto, I'm going to need something to tie off around her arm to stop the bleeding. Hurry!"  
>He quickly grabbed the sleeve off of his training jacket and tore it off.<p>

"Here!" Naruto threw the long sleeve to the pink-haired medic-nin.

Sakura succeeded in stopping the bleeding, but it took a while before Emi came to.

"N-Naruto?" she mumbled softly as her eyes fluttered open.

"Emi! Oh, thank Kami you're ok..." he came and wrapped his arms around her slender frame gently.

"What happened, Emi?" he asked gently.

"Naruto... May I speak to Emi alone?" Sakura asked with a slight sadness in her voice.

Naruto looked to his lover. "Are you sure?"

She nodded 'yes' silently.

"Ok... I'll be out in the living room..." he said worriedly.

"Emi, you promised this would stop after you moved in here!" Sakura said sadly after Naruto shut the door gently.

"What do you know? Do you know what it's like being afraid to go to sleep at night because when you dream, you dream of them? How every time people look at me, they whisper? How if Naruto even touches me, I flinch..." she trailed off quieter at the end.

"You almost killed yourself!" the rosette countered.

"So, who cares?"

"We all do! Me, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Neji… all of us! Especially Naruto! You're the only thing that makes all of the stress bearable! If you leave him, he'll never make it."

Emi sighed defeated. She knew what Sakura was saying was true, especially with his promotion to Hokage being later that month, and in all honesty, she loved him just as much.

"How am I going to tell him?" she whispered.

"That's up to you, sweetie..." Sakura said softly.

"He's never going to look at me the same..." the blonde whimpered.

"He'll still love you," Sakura said firmly.

Emi sighed softly. "I might as well tell him now... Thanks, Sakura..."

"Anytime."

Emi got up and threw on one of Naruto's shirts and boxers.

Sakura walked out and told Naruto it was ok to go back in. Emi looked nervous, and her eyes were red like she'd been crying.

"N-Naruto, I think it's time you knew what happened to me all those years ago, after you left..."

Naruto came and sat on the bed next to her.

"Take your time, Hime... I promise, whatever it is, I'll still love you just the same as I do now."

"W-well, at the Battle of the Valley of the End... I followed you, b-but I was foolish... I let my guard down..."

"What do you mean?"

"Kabuto, h-he was there... He put something over my nose and mouth, and I passed out... When I woke up, I was in the Akatsuki lair, and he was there, with Orochimaru..."

"A-At first, they just made me... you know, go down on them... I-It was awful, but they left me alone after they got wanted... I hoped that's all they'd want..."

"That wasn't all they wanted... was it...?" He sounded heartbroken.

Her bright green eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head no.

"On my 13th birthday, Orochimaru decided it was time for me to "become a woman" as he put it... I begged him to stop, and tried to get him off of me. I told him that I was a virgin; that I wanted to save myself for the man I married..." she said with shame coming off every word.  
>"B-but he didn't... after he… took what he wanted, he just let the Akatsuki members have their way with me... I-Itachi was the only one that never touched me, along with Konan, of course..."<p>

Naruto winced, trying not to show how hurt he was to hear this. How could someone just... take a girl's innocence like that? Women, he believed, were meant to be cherished and respected as equals, not used as an object of lust.

"Oh, Emi..." he wanted to hold her and tell her that he didn't care about what had happened, that he still loved her and wanted her.

"If you don't want to be with me anymore, I understand... the woman that the Hokage chooses to bear his heirs should have a good reputation and be able to give him an honorable heir."  
>"Emi, what they did to you was not your fault, it was rape! A woman's virtue is supposed to be protected, not taken by force... As for being with you, it doesn't matter to me. I want to be with you, if that's what you want... In my eyes, you are still as innocent as you were before that happened... I love you, Emi! I want to marry you one day, and show you..." he trailed off as he started to blush, realizing he said entirely too much.<p>

She wrapped her arms around him and cried softly into his shoulder.

"Oh, Naruto... of course I want to be with you, forever! I want to be yours, soul, mind, and one day..." a light blush appeared across her cheeks, "body. I want to marry you and have a family..."

He held her petite frame close in his strong arms and tilted her chin up to look into his eyes, wiping away the tears. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and kissed her passionately, gently nibbling on her lip.

It was the most tender, loving kiss she'd ever had in her life. He whispered "I love you" into her ear before pulling the covers over them, seeing she was tired from the day's events. She rested her head on his chest and fell into a mercifully dreamless sleep, and Naruto did too... as soon as he saw she was sleeping peacefully, of course.

1 Japanese for "I'm very sorry."


	11. Chapter 10: Charisma

Chapter 10: Charisma

Tori smirked as she pulled herself out of the onsen, wet furry tail swishing as if it was excited to be let free of the confines of all the trouble she went through to keep it well hidden. She really didn't care now. Her mischievous nature has decidedly gotten the better of her, as usual. She had only heard Naruto and Emi leave, meaning Lee was alone, which means there was fun to be had. She'd prided herself as somewhat of a flirt and a tease, and she wasn't going to pass up this golden opportunity.

She crept silently towards the onsen she saw Lee and Naruto walk in a while ago, pushing the door open carefully. Tori chuckled as she quietly slipped into the water, inching closer to the unsuspecting male.

When their bodies finally touched, Lee jumped and his eyes bugged even larger than usual, if that was possible. Tori looked as innocent as possible, sapphire blue eyes apologizing as if the whole thing was a total accident.

"I am so sorry! A whole bunch of guys kept trying to peek in on me so I had to leave and move somewhere else," the redhead lied through her teeth, but held a convincing blush across her cheeks

"WHAT? Where are they, I will teach them a lesson! How dare they peep on a lady?" Lee cried indignantly.

Tori was taken aback by his response. Most males would jump at the chance to see a young woman in such a vulnerable state, but he seemed genuinely repulsed by the idea of anyone taking advantage of a lady's privacy. It was new to her, and Tori wasn't quite sure how to respond. Her cheeks turned a deep red color.  
>"I-It's fine, I'm okay now…" she said uncharacteristically shy.<p>

"I swear I will take care of the next guy who tries to do that!" Lee said with his usual enthusiasm.

Tori was lost deep in thought. _'He seems really upset that someone would try to sneak a peek at me… I thought chivalry was dead…' _

Was everything she thought she knew a lie? Maybe Lee was just the kind of person Tori needed in her life, someone different from usual guys that could show her that a knight in shining armor did exist. This thought definitely made the vivacious redhead uncomfortable. She had seen what 'men' (she used the word loosely) could be capable of: they saw females as nothing more than instruments for pleasure meant to be used for their release and nothing more. The fact that he seemed to be offended at the idea of someone doing that made her question everything she thought she knew.

Tori tried to deny that she liked this about him. She knew he 'loved' Sakura, but that idea made her green with envy. She didn't WANT him to love her! She hated the idea of them getting intimately involved, though.

'_I could hurt him! That's the last thing I want! After what I did to Neji, even staying in his house is a mistake…' _

She was getting frustrated at how he made her feel this way. He had her wrapped around his finger without even trying!

"Tori?" She missed everything he just said!

"W-What'd you say?" she stumbled trying to find the words.

"I asked if you wanted to go back to the house," the green-clad ninja responded patiently.

"I think that's a good idea…" Tori blushed, rising out of the steaming water and wrapping a towel around herself.

'_This is going to be interesting…'_ she mused.


	12. Chapter 11: Care

Chapter 11: Care

The next morning, Naruto woke before Emi. After the revelations from the night before, Naruto decided that he was ready to take the next step in their relationship. He wrote her a little note so she wouldn't worry, and headed off to the jewelry shop.

Emi woke up feeling cold next to her. She sighed heartbroken, as she was hoping he would still be there.

'_I guess they were just pretty words…'_ she thought as she picked up the note, and her heart swelled.

"_Precious Emi-chan,_

_I'm so sorry that I was not here for you to wake up. I have some last-minute details about the promotion ceremony to take care of, and Granny Tsunade asked me to be there early._

_I love you so much, Hime, and I meant everything I said last night. If you will have me, I promise I will never leave you._

_I might be late tonight, so don't wait up._

_Love,_

_Your All-Powerful (Future) Hokage!"_

She smiled as she finished reading the note.

'_I love you, Naruto-kun…"_ she thought to herself. Emi hoped with all heart she meant what he said about being with her forever.

"I don't think I could bear it if he broke it off…" she whimpered.

Naruto walked up to the stand.

"Look who it is, our future Hokage! How can I help you?" the middle-aged man asked cheerfully.

"Well, I'm looking to get an engagement ring…" Naruto said quietly so no one could overhear.

"An engagement ring, huh? Well, congratulations, son! I think I have just the thing for you!" the man's age showed as he smiled, lines creasing around his eyes and mouth. He pulled out a silver-colored band with a simple, however nice sized diamond ring with sapphires surrounding it.  
>Naruto looked at it with admiration. "It's perfect! I'll take it!" Naruto could hardly help shouting it to the man slipped the ring into a dark red velvet box.<p>

"Good luck, son!" he shouted as Naruto dashed off to find his lover, and hopefully, future wife.

Emi had been walking around the fields surrounding the village. She always loved the smell of the flowers and the beauty of nature. She sat in the meadow pondering her future with Naruto.

'_I wonder if he wants children…'_ she blushed at the thought, thinking of a little Naruto running around her feet.

He found her exactly in the spot he hoped she'd be in. Naruto put a hand gently on the girl's shoulder, and she jumped.

"Oh! It's you, Naruto-kun…" she blushed. "I thought you had preparations for the ceremony tomorrow!" she cried.

"Oh, they didn't take as long as I thought…" he smirked to himself, feeling around inside his training jacket for the small, dark red box.

"I love you, Emi… You're perfect…" he cooed softly, whispering the sweet words into her ear, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She blinked, then frowned and looked up at him. "No I'm not, Naruto… I'm anything but."

He frowned back at her then states, "You're quiet, you like to help people, you _love_ to make people happy—you're perfect."

"Am not…" Emi whispers back.

"Well, I think you're perfect," Naruto stated with a firm finality, running his hand up her leg. "I'm going to be Hokage soon, and the elders told me I had to choose a wife… and I have someone in mind."

"Oh..."

"That's all you've got to say, 'oh'?"

She paused in thought for a few minutes, then whispered, "Well, I suppose I can say that I wish you and who ever you've chosen good luck, and I hope you'll be very happy with her."

Naruto frowned, then grabbed her hand and pulled it back. "You don't have enough confidence in yourself, Emi."

She blinked as she felt him slip something onto her ring finger, and then pulled her hand back and look at it confusion. She gasped as she saw a beautiful blue diamond ring on your finger, then sat up quickly and take it off. He frowns as she held the ring back out to him, then he looked back up at her.

She shook her head quickly, frowning. "No, I... I can't be the one you choose, Naruto. There's so many girls out there that love you and are _much_ better than me, so... so just go pick one of them," she stated softly, then grabbed his hand and closed his fingers over the ring.

He sighed, then suddenly sat up and grabbed her wrist as Emi tried to stand up. She turned back to him quickly and gasped as he tugs her back onto the ground, so she fell into his lap.

"Ah!"

Naruto slipped the ring back on her finger and looked at her sadly, with desperation. "I want _you._ You're the one I choose, and if I can't have you, I don't want anyone at all. Be my wife, Emi. Marry me," he begged, blue eyes full of love.

Emi frowned frown a little, then whispered, "Why me?"

"Because I love you... You complete me," he answered, brushing her hair out of her face, before leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips.

She moaned softly, and then lays her head on his shoulder after he broke the kiss and sighed.

"Okay. I'll marry you…" she blushed.

He leaned down and kissed her chest softly, then hugged her tightly. Emi's body went rigid, her cheeks smothered with a dark red blush. Her eyes went wide as she felt a high-pitched squeak pass her lips in utter surprise. Naruto smirked, his lips still on the soft skin of her chest.

She moaned out his name softly as he looked up at her, then stood up and picked her up bridal style. He flashed-stepped them both back to their apartment. Naruto quickly closed the door and pinned her against the wall, capturing her lips in a kiss that grew more heated by the second.  
>She moaned into the kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist and gasped at the large bulge. He broke the kiss and smirked, turning his attention to her neck. He kissed and left his mark on her neck while grinding his hips against hers gently.<p>

"N-Naruto!" she moaned louder, feeling the bulge grow by the second.

Right as things were getting heated, her mind flashed to her enslavement to the Akatsuki members' lust. This was nothing like that… he took time to pleasure her, to show her how important this was to him as he led them to their bedroom, slamming the door shut with a finality of what would happen that night.


	13. Chapter 12: Home

Chapter 12: Home

A huge blush came across Tori's face as she realized something about them being in the same hot spring. _'How are we supposed to get out?'_ she thought panicked.

Lee realized the same thing. _'I don't want to be like those guys who tried to sneak a peek at her! She's so beautiful, though…'_ his thoughts trailed off. He fidgeted nervously with his hands.

"Um… I-I'll just turn around so you can get out first…" he fumbled out the words.

"Okay…" she didn't really expect him not to look.

True to his character, though, he kept his back to her and his eyes shut as Tori wrapped a towel around herself.  
>"O-ok, you can get out now…" she said shyly, turning around to give him the same privacy.<p>

'_This is SO awkward…'_ the redhead thought to herself. He drove her absolutely crazy! Under any other circumstances, she would play the role of seasoned seductress and lured the man into her trap. Lee… He was unlike any other man she had ever met.

The two walked into their respective dressing houses, a strained silence overtaking the pair. The silence would continue as they walked to Lee's house and settled in for the night.

Emi was the first to wake the next morning, covered in nothing but a classic white sheet. The realization of what occurred the night before sent her head spinning.

'_I can't believe that we actually… What if I'm pregnant? He'll be Hokage in just a few days! How would it look if it comes out his fiancée is expecting his baby? It'll look like he just married me because I got pregnant…'_ Her thoughts eventually turned more positive.

'_I'm not even sure I am pregnant… We'll just have to wait and see,'_ Emi concluded, soothing her racing mind.

Naruto shifted position and opened his eyes slowly. He gave his lover a tender smile.

"Good morning, Hime…" he said nuzzling her neck gently.

A soft blush graced Emi's cheeks. "Good morning, Naruto-kun…"

"How did you sleep?" he asked his blushing bride-to-be.  
>"Very well!" she responded enthusiastically.<p>

"I'm going to go take a shower, ok? And I promise I won't… you know…" Emi trailed off remembering the last time those words came out of her mouth. "I have something worth living for now…" she whispered, a new determination in her voice.

Naruto smiled at the words. "I'm glad…" He kissed her forehead and let go of his Hime, his Princess.

She slipped out from under the covers and walked to the bathroom, humming to herself.

'_This is the first time I've heard her hum,'_ Naruto realized. _'She has a beautiful voice… maybe she's on her way to healing…' _He sincerely hoped so.

Emi turned on the shower, humming a song that reminded her of Naruto. _'I can't believe we're getting married! I can't wait to be his wife…'_ she thought happily.

After finishing the relaxing, hot shower, Emi wrapped herself in one of their fluffy, white towels and walked out of the bathroom. To her surprise, Naruto wasn't there, but a stack of neatly folded clothes lay on their now neatly made bed. Emi smiled to herself and got dressed quickly, hearing her boyfriend fiancée cooking. Naruto Uzumaki, cooking!

'_He's going to make a wonderful husband…'_ she smiled to herself and walked out to see a full breakfast made. She smiled at the sweet gesture.  
>"Oh, hi, Emi-chan! I didn't hear you come out. I made breakfast!" Naruto's voice was laced with a mixture of pride and nervousness of what his young future wife would think.<br>"Naruto, y-you made all this?" she asked, her self-control slipping with each syllable.

"Yes," his blue eyes expressing the love he held for the young woman before him.

"You didn't have to do that, Naruto-kun…" she said softly blushing, eyes welling up in tears.  
>"I know, but I wanted to…" Naruto came and whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her in a gentle embrace. "You deserve it…" he said, pulling out a chair for her.<p>

'_And people say chivalry is dead…'_ Emi smiled to herself, thinking of just how lucky she was that this man would be her husband.

Meanwhile, at Lee's apartment, the pair sat on opposite ends of the couch, not daring to look at each other. The lanky young man played with a stray piece of string from his arm bandages, while the redhead bit her lip and rubbed her temples. She wasn't sure if she should try to strike up a conversation, or leave the green-clad ninja to his thoughts.

'_She is so beautiful…'_ he mused. _'I've never met anyone like her…'_

'_He is so… different, but I think I like that…' _Tori thought.

She sat there, too preoccupied to notice him slide over to her side, incredibly close to her as he put his rough hands on either side of her face and moved her to him. Tori almost pulled away, but she melted into his arms, letting the hot kiss tingle across her mouth. She gripped at the chest of his forest-green suit, determined to see the muscles beneath. Lee would have panicked if it was anyone else, but he couldn't stop… Not now… Somewhere, deep down, he'd longed to kiss to a girl… He just never thought he'd get a chance. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and his arms snaked around her waist. He was tempted to allow his hands to travel lower, but decided against it. Tori's fingers trailed across his toned chest, and he let out a groan. He unzipped his army green chuunin jacket quickly and put it over his waist to hide the incredibly painful bulge, swallowing a pitiful little whimper. Her face was completely red as she gave a naughty smirk. Lee gave a quick tug of her hips in an attempt to yank her close. They craved the closeness of one another. Lee didn't want to let her go for a single second. He needed her and couldn't bear to be alone anymore. He held her in his arms, kissing down her neck and nuzzling gently.

"L-Lee…" Tori barely managed to get out above a whisper. He couldn't help but smirk at her reaction. Tori blushed hotly.

"Lee… I-I think we should stop…" she said breathily.

The thought of stopping took every ounce of self-control he had, but under no circumstances would he ever force a woman farther than she was comfortable with.

"You… You don't have to stop… I just want you to be sure," the redhead panted.

Lee caressed her face gently. "As long as you're okay with this, I am…" he whispered, nuzzling his head into her neck. She whimpered, not wanting to stop, but knowing that he could possibly be hurt made her cringe. He wasn't sure what to do. He tried to convince himself he could stop if only he could undress her! With shaking hands, he did. Lee regretted it instantly, as it only made him want her more. His eyes widened as he took in her figure. She wasn't skinny, but had soft round curves that offset her childish facial features and gave her a pixie-like appearance. Tori clung to his strong neck, pulling him close to her. He slammed the door shut and the two fell on to the bed, succumbing to passion.


	14. Chapter 13: Bound

Chapter 13: Bound

Several days had passed, and once again, Emi woke up alone.

"Naruto…" she whimpered, hoping her husband-to-be would still be right beside her. All she could find was a red ribbon tied to her ring finger. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What was Naruto planning? She slipped out from under the covers to find a note on their dresser. All it said was "Follow the ribbon."

After slipping on a white, cotton sundress and applying a light layer of makeup, she started and saw it starting out the bedroom, through the living room, and out the door. Following it, Emi was lead to the exact same place Naruto had proposed just days before. She saw him standing there in a traditional tux (with an orange tie, of course), holding a little black box, Kakashi by his side. Her green eyes welled up in tears.

"N-Naruto-kun?" her voice was barely above a whisper. "What's going on?"

Naruto smiled shyly. Kakashi gave him a little dig in the arm for encouragement. She recognized the smiling face of her redheaded friend, who was standing beside her roommate, who looked adorably out of place in a nicely fitted tux.

With his free hand, Naruto took Emi's hand gently and brought her so she was standing with her face towards him. He smiled lovingly at his blushing bride-to-be. It was then Kakashi began officiating.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Naruto Uzumaki and Emi Yamanaka…" Naruto fidgeted excitedly, waiting for the exchanging of the rings. He struggled to pay attention nearly the whole time, too preoccupied to focus on anything but his bride.

After saying the traditional "I do," and being prompted by Kakashi, he slipped the diamond-encrusted white gold band onto her left ring finger, next to the engagement ring. Her eyes glistened with tears at the symbol of his love for her. He prayed more than anything she felt the same way about him as he did about her. Tori handed Emi the small, dark red box that held Naruto's ring and gave her friend an encouraging smile. She saw the love in Naruto's eyes as he looked at her.

The blushing bride repeated after Kakashi and slipped the ring on Naruto's left ring finger. He was grinning ear to ear, and she also smiled one of the first genuine smiles she'd had in years. She knew this position should be held by a more worthy woman, a woman who hadn't been shared with numerous men… He deserved someone who could give herself to him fully. Tears welled up in her emerald green eyes, and she shook the thoughts away.

_'It doesn't matter,'_ she told herself. She knew he loved her, and she loved him as well.

Meanwhile, Tori tried not to fidget with the knee length strapless dress she wore. She had never worn a dress before. She hoped the ceremony wouldn't go on much longer. She did her best to keep her tail tucked under the folds of the dresses silky fabric, which did nothing to add to the comfortableness of the ordeal. She was relieved when the small audience started clapping, announcing the end of the ceremony. The redhead breathed a sigh of relief, and Lee gave her hand a gentle squeeze. The couple walked hand-in-hand behind the newlyweds. She was happy for her friends, but she wanted to get home!

They waved goodbye to each other at the end of the aisle, and Naruto picked Emi up bridal style. She giggled softly, and a light blush appeared across her cheeks. Tori smiled Naruto whisked his new bride off to their honeymoon, but felt very jealous. Lee saw the cute little pout on her lips and poorly hidden jealousy in her eyes, and felt extremely guilty. He felt bad for not doing the same for her as Naruto did for Emi, despite the fact the two barely knew each other. His stomach tied itself up in knot as he looked at her longing expression.

'I must do something to make her feel more at ease!' Lee pondered ways to help this... well, he wasn't quite sure what their relationship was… It didn't matter. He cared for her, and Lee felt that she felt the same.

Meanwhile, Naruto lead Emi to a cabin in the woods of Konoha, where they would spend their first month together as husband and wife. She blushed darker at the sight of the lovely little house.

"T-This is ours?" she asked, still clearly embarrassed at the thought of what the next month would hold.

He smiled, pulling her slender frame close with strong arms. "Yep, all ours!"

Emi's face turned an even deeper shade of red as he carried her into the small, but cozy house. It was perfect for a newly married couple.

Lee and Tori made it home to their apartment. Tori almost immediately tossed off the dress and slumped on the floor laying there in her bra and underwear, not caring at all, but happy to be out of the dress.

Lee chuckled and shook his head. "That bad?"

"You have no idea…" she said, with sadness and longing in her voice.

He sighed and patted her on the head. "Oh sweetie..."

She gave him a scathing glare. "Don't patronize me."

Lee instantly recoiled like a whipped puppy.

_'The patting on the head was probably not the best idea...'_ he thought, scolding himself for having the audacity to do such a thing.

She sighed, not meaning to snap at him when he was just trying to be kind. "I... I'm sorry, Lee-san..."

Lee tried not to show the shock he was feeling on the inside.

"I just... I guess I'm having a hard time being patient..."

"I know how you feel," he said truthfully, thinking of the failed attempts to grab Sakura's attention. "The one I care for is in love with someone else…" he trailed off, sadness laced in the words.

"Everyone has a soul mate though!" he countered cheerfully. Tori couldn't help but smile at his naïve words.

"I hope you're right…" she said with a small smile. Maybe, just maybe, she was growing to love the green-clad ninja…


	15. Chapter 14: Bombshell

Chapter 14: Bombshell

Emi wondered how her husband had gotten everything together so quickly. However he did it, she considered herself the luckiest woman in the world. Her stomach had butterflies… but those butterflies quickly turned to nausea.

"N-Naruto, where's the bathroom?" she asked, frustrated at the nausea's unwelcome timing.

He gestured to a door down one of the hallways. "Are you ok, Emi?" he asked concerned.

She dashed to the bathroom, unable to answer his question. Her stomach attempted to rid itself of its contents, but all that came up was the bitter taste of bile.

Ever the concerned husband, Naruto quickly followed his wife into the bathroom and held her hair back while rubbing her back gently.

After she was standing upright, Naruto gave Emi a confused and very worried look. "Are you ok, Hime? Are you sick?"  
>Emi sincerely hoped her suspicions weren't correct. A blush came across her face. "I… I don't know…" she whispered honestly.<br>"I'm taking you to go see Sakura-chan tomorrow," Naruto stated firmly.

'_I guess it's better to find out sooner rather than later…'_ Emi said to herself.

The next day, the newlywed couple dressed and headed to the hospital hand-in-hand.

"Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I made an appointment for my wife Emi yesterday?" he explained to the receptionist at the hospital.

"One minute… Ah, yes, there you are! I see you have an appointment with Miss Haruno at one o'clock," the nurse responded amicably.

"Mrs. Uzumaki, I just need you to fill out this form detailing your medical history," she said, handing it to Emi along with a pen.

"H-Hai…" the blonde responded nervously as Naruto led her to a chair in the waiting room.

Emi sat there filling out the pointless form until she came across a question all women should know.

'_When was the date of your last menstrual cycle?'_

Emi's heart sank as the realization hit her: she missed her last period.

'_Oh, no…'_ was all she could think as she put down the date.

Not 15 minutes later, Emi and Naruto were sitting in the exam room with Sakura.  
>"So, what seems to be the matter, Emi? You seemed fine the other day…"<p>

"W-Well, I sort of… got sick to my stomach yesterday…" Emi responded, her eyes downcast.

"Aw, I'm so sorry to hear that! Maybe it's food poisoning, or the stomach flu? We'll run some tests to find out," Sakura stated, gathering the phlebotomy kit.

After drawing blood to run a basic battery of tests, Sakura made the short trip to Konoha's lab. She handed it to one of the technicians and waited rather impatiently for the results. When the tech handed her the envelope containing the results, she made her way back to the waiting room where the soon-to-be Hokage and his wife were anxiously awaiting the results. The newly married couple sat next to each other, holding hands as they so often did.

Sakura opened the envelope and scanned the report. "Just as I suspected… Congratulations, Emi! You're pregnant!"  
>Emi's eyes widened. "P-pregnant?"<p>

A million thoughts were running through her mind. Would he be angry? Did he even want children? What about his dream of being Hokage? A baby would absolutely get in the way… All of her fears were shattered, though, as he gave a huge grin and spun her around, only to dip her and kiss her gently.

"Did you hear that Emi? A baby!" Naruto looked positively overjoyed, smiling ear-to-ear.

A light blush appeared across her cheeks. "Y-you're not angry?" she whispered apprehensively.

"The woman I love is having my baby! How could I be angry?" Naruto held her close, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

It was in that moment she knew he was truly happy about this baby. Letting out a small sigh of relief, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Let's go home…" Naruto said softly, lifting his wife bridal style. She nodded, thanking Sakura on the way out.


	16. Chapter 15: Anchor

Chapter 15: Anchor

Lee and Tori had stayed up late into the early morning hours talking. They surprisingly had a lot in common, from being rejected by their peers to their mutual loss of parents. Unbeknownst to them, the pair had actually fallen asleep in each other's arms in the midst of their heart-to-heart. When Lee woke up he was surprised to find that she was still there, although all he saw he saw at first was the forest of red hair that he had buried his face into while he slept. The blush on his cheeks was unmistakable. The dark-haired ninja, known for his usually boisterous personality, attempted to slip out of her grasp, but only managed to accidentally roll off the bed clumsily.

When Emi and Naruto arrived back at the quaint apartment they shared, the couple was greeted with a two-year-old tackling their legs.

"Mama!" Shiseu whimpered, "Are you sick?"

A light blush appeared across Emi's cheeks. "N-Not exactly…" she told her young son, pulling him onto her lap. "H-How would you feel if you were to have a new baby sister?"

"A baby sister?" the little boy mused in a questioning tone. "Really?" a huge smile spread across his face.

'_He looks so much like his father…'_ she thought sadly, remembering the only male Akatsuki member to show her any kindness, Uchiha Itachi.

~Flashback~

_The petite blonde hovered over the sink, looking at her reflection. _

"_Please don't let me be pregnant…" she thought, praying that her worst fears weren't correct. Who knows what those men would do to her if they found out she was with child? More importantly, whose child was this? Itachi and Konan had been slipping her the pill since she arrived, but lately the relationship between her and Itachi was becoming something more than just platonic friends. Emi knew without a doubt she loved the elder Uchiha, their actions when no one was around proved that, but was unable to give up the hope that Naruto would come to her rescue like she knew he would. Tears came to her emerald green eyes as she heard someone coming into her cell._

_Emi hated this life. Her body was used as a punching bag, an outlet for the Akatsuki's lust. She put a hand on her stomach, noticing the gentle bump that was forming. There is no doubt that she is pregnant._

_ "I don't want my baby growing up seeing this…" she thought to herself. The Akatsuki lair was no place to raise a child, much less have a baby. How was she to provide for the baby? She needed to get out._

_ Just then, Itachi knocked on the door. He always knocked, to allow her some comfort. "It's Itachi," he said softly._

_ "C-come in…" the blonde said quietly._

_ Itachi opened and closed the door to her cell-like room with little noise. She couldn't look at Itachi in the eyes. She knew this baby was his._

_ "How are you?" he asked in a soft tone._

_ "Alright," Emi mumbled as she fiddled with her fingers, looking at the dirt on the ground._

_There was an awkward silence._

"_I know," he said simply, "and Naruto and Kakashi are coming."  
>Emi's emerald green eyes filled up with tears. "W-What? What about you? You're coming too, right? Sasuke's getting stronger and stronger…" her voice trailed off sadly. They both knew what would happen eventually. She wrapped her arms around him as best she could. "I don't want to lose you…" she said through tears. <em>

"_No, please… don't worry about me…" he said, taking her into his much stronger arms. "I have to get you out of here, so you can raise our child safely…"_

_Just then, loud bangs and explosions could be heard throughout the hideout._

"_They're here…" Itachi whispered into her ear, and a few minutes later, Naruto and Kakashi came in, looking more disheveled than ever._

"_N-Naruto? Is that you?" Emi asked the man in the black-and-orange jumpsuit._

_He grinned at her and nodded his head. She couldn't help but run and give him a huge hug. "I'm so happy to see you…"_

"_I missed you…" he whispered into her ear._

"_I missed you too, so much…" Emi told him honestly, blushing._

"_Thank you for coming," Itachi told Naruto and Kakashi, man to man._

"_No problem," Naruto said casually. "Ready to go, Emi?"_

_She nodded yes, looking sadly at Itachi. She prayed that he would live to see their baby._

~End Flashback~

"Ouch…" Lee mumbled, hitting the ground with a solid thud. Tori sprung right up immediately with a yelp.

"Lee-kun?" she whined sleepily. "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yes…" he sighed, disappointed that his attempt to let Tori sleep longer had failed. "I am sorry I woke you up…" sadness appeared across his face.

She laughed softly. "It was an accident, calm down!"

Lee blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "I-I'm going to go take a shower…" he said shyly.

Tori pouted. "No, come back to bed…" she pleaded with him.  
>Lee's blush grew even darker. "Tori, I really need to shower…"<p>

She sighed in defeat. "Ok… but hurry back?" Tori tried to make it sound more of a request.

"Of course…" and Lee smiled his dazzling smile before dodging into the bathroom, quick as a flash.

In record time he was stripped out of his jumpsuit and had begun unraveling the bandages around his wrists.

"Yay, a baby sister!" Shiseu cheered. Emi smiled at her two-year-old.  
>"We're gonna be a family…" Naruto told his son. He considered Shiseu his son, though he was not the boy's biological father, though it was fairly obvious that this was not the case. Shiseu was tall for his age, had flawless pale skin, and dark hair. His eyes were a deep brown that made him look much older than he actually was. In other words, he was the spitting image of Itachi. The two-year-old hugged both of his parents.<p>

"When can we see the baby?" he asked innocently.

"In a few months," Emi smiled down at her son. Right now, life was perfect.


	17. Chapter 16: Babes

Chapter 16: Babes

Lee stepped out of the shower with a sigh of relief, steam pouring around him, making the air thick and warm, but comfortable. Not wanting to upset his… well, he wasn't quite sure what their relationship was. Certainly he wanted Tori to be his girlfriend, but the fear of rejection was at the front of his mind. He didn't believe that she would push him away, but he just wasn't sure he could risk it at this point.

'_It seems like she could like me…'_ he thought. _'I hope she accepts my feelings…'_ an uncharacteristic frown came upon the usually cheerful man's face. Lee gathered up his courage, got dressed, and walked out of the bathroom to confess his love to the feisty redhead.

The young family had fallen asleep together; the two-year-old snuggled in between his parents. Emi's eyes fluttered opened slowly and she sighed happily, giving her son a kiss on the forehead with a sleepy smile. Her gaze then went to her sleeping husband, the newly appointed Seventh Hokage. She couldn't believe how lucky she was: a loving husband, an adorable little boy, and a baby girl on the way!

Lee was incredibly nervous as he walked back into the room. He saw her sleeping on her side, breathing evenly and snuggled happily under the covers. He couldn't help but smile as soon as he saw her face. He sighed and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. Tori's eyes fluttered open and a sleepy smile spread across her face.

"Good morning…" he said softly in her ear. A soft pink blush appeared across her cheeks.

"Good morning…" Tori smiled at him.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked the redhead on his bed.

"Very well…" Tori blushed, looking down shyly.

"Good," he said smiling. Lee's dazzling smile lit up the room to her.

"And you? What about you?" Tori asked curiously.

"Me? W-Well I, uh…" he stammered, not able to look her in the eyes.

"Please explain why that is?" She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes in a questioning, childish manner.

"I would rather not say…" He looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"And why is that?" She inquired further, batting her eyelashes. Tori truly looked like the picture innocence.

Lee fumbled word words as he tried to hold his ground against the formidable four-foot-ten, auburn-headed 'attacker', who wielded her icy blue eyes skillfully, with the tiniest smirk, suggesting that she already knew what his problem was without him saying a word… and it scared him beyond belief. In actuality, she was simply asking him a completely innocent question that she wanted the answer to make him feel more comfortable. She leaned in kissed his forehead sweetly.

"Tell me later, if that's what you'd like…" She told him reassuringly.

Emi was truly grateful for everything the past few years had given her. Knowing where she came from and the hell she survived reminded her how truly lucky she was to have the life she had now. Looking at her son, she was reminded of the day he was born.

~Flashback~

_Several months had passed since Emi had come back to the Leaf. Though her physical wounds had mostly healed, the emotional wounds would take longer. She was very pregnant now, and it was almost time for the baby to be born. Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and of course Lady Hokage, had been wonderful to her. One thing worried Emi more than anything, though, and that was that she hadn't heard from Itachi in the time that she had been back in the Leaf. She prayed that he was still alive, though she knew the odds weren't good._

_ Days passed, and one afternoon as she was reading a book, Emi felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She thought it was just a hard kick, but when a gush of liquid followed after a few more, Emi knew it was time._

_ "N-Naruto!" she cried out, "I-it's time! H-He's coming!"  
>Ever the concerned boyfriend (he had asked her to go steady and move in only recently); he rushed to her side and helped her to the hospital.<em>

_ "Someone, please, my girlfriend is in labor!" Naruto was surprisingly calm and level-headed as the teenager beside him was trying her best to hold back loud screams of pain. Sakura recognized the voice immediately and rushed them back to a labor and delivery room._

_ After hours of excruciating labor and many tears later, a little blue bundle was in the 15-year-old's arms. There was no doubt as to the child's father; he was undoubtedly Itachi's son._

_ 'I wish he could be here…' she said, looking at the tiny baby in her arms._

_ "He looks just like him…" Emi whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear._

_ Just then, the door opened and tall man with a sweeping black cloak and raven-colored hair walked into the room. He walked to the side of the hospital bed in a dignified, graceful matter, and stooped down so he could be close to the young woman. _

"_Hello, Emi-san… Are you feeling okay?" He brushed a piece of her platinum blonde hair out of her eyes in an act of loving and honest concern._

_ "Itachi!" tears came flowing down her face. "I-I'm great… a-and so is your son… He looks just like you… and he's so strong…"  
>For the first time in many years, a smile came across Itachi's face. "I'm glad that the last of the Uchiha will be in your hands…"<em>

_ More tears came down the new mother's face. She knew what he meant. Sasuke would be coming after him very soon and both knew that neither Sasuke nor Itachi would survive._

_ "What should we name him?" Itachi asked the mother of his son._

_ "What about… Shiseu?" she suggested after pondering._

_ "Savior… It's perfect," Itachi agreed. This baby was both of their saving graces._


	18. Chapter 17: Paternity

Chapter 17: Paternity

Lee's face turned beet red at her words. He didn't really want to tell Tori why he had trouble sleeping: it was her. How was he supposed to explain _that _to her? And explain what, exactly? That he was kept awake because of his body's reaction due to the fact he was physically attracted to her? _'Oh, yes, that would go over splendidly,' _Lee scolded himself.

Naruto awoke not long after Emi. He smiled, seeing his beautiful wife's face. "Good morning…" he said, touching her face gently.

A soft pink blush appeared across Emi's cheeks. "Good morning, Naruto-kun…" she smiled back at him.

"Did you sleep well?"  
>"Very well, since you and Shiseu were with me…" she blushed. Emi's family was truly her world.<p>

Naruto got up out of bed and kissed his wife and stepson's foreheads. "Stay here…" he whispered in her ear.

"O-Ok…" she said, wondering what Naruto could possibly be up to.

"Anyway… What would you like to do today?" Lee asked his guest.

"I'd love to meet more of your friends!" Tori chimed in enthusiastically. Lee was extremely glad that she did not press him on the matter of his sleeping troubles any further… for now anyway.

"Of course, we should go into town; we might be able to see more of my fellow shinobi and kunoichi!" Lee sounded truly excited at the prospect. Then again, Lee got excited about almost anything!

Tori couldn't help but smile at Lee's enthusiasm. "Sounds like a plan! Let me just get dressed…"

About 20 minutes later, Naruto walked back into their bedroom to see Emi holding a sleeping Shiseu. He couldn't help but smile at the young mother's devotion to her first son.

"Breakfast is served…" Naruto said softly as to not wake the sleeping child. Tears came to Emi's eyes. She had never been served breakfast in bed before!

"Oh, Naruto…" she smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. She adjusted Shiseu and took the tray from Naruto. "Thank you…" she kissed him on the cheek and blushed. Naruto flashed his pearly white teeth in a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"You're welcome…" he whispered and kissed her cheek. 'Just a way to show her how much I love her and our daughter…'  
>"Oh, Naruto… I was thinking of a name for the baby… I think we should name her Kushina, after your mother, i-if that's ok with you…" she blushed, looking at him with a look in her eyes that said she hoped that he wouldn't be angry at the idea.<p>

Naruto's eyes grew wide and filled with tears. "I would love that… so much…" He spoke in such a loving and tender voice that it made her melt. He leaned close and kissed her cheek, letting a smile play on his lips.  
>"I-I'm glad that you like the idea…" she said smiling back at him, enjoying her breakfast.<p>

After getting dressed, Tori's inquisitive nature was awoken once again as she saw her roommate.

"Lee-san?"

"Yes, Tori?" His face was instinctively covered in a mild pink blush.

"Why won't you tell me why you couldn't sleep?"

"O-Oh… Well—" He felt his stomach tie itself in knots.

"Is it a 'human thing'?" The little redhead blurted out the first thing she could think of. She was eager to learn more about the strange behavior of the bizarre species.

"What—Oh! No, no," Lee laughed nervously. "Well… Kind of…"

Tori crossed her arms stubbornly and cocked her head.

Lee sighed in defeat. "Yes…" he finally confessed.

"Care to explain?" she asked, her eyes still full of curiosity.

A deeper blush came across Lee's face. "N-Not particularly, not really…"

Tori pouted childishly. "Why not? What's so bad that you won't tell me?"

"U-Um… Well…" Lee wasn't quite sure how to explain it, especially considering how embarrassing it was for him. "I just really like you and think you're beautiful…" he whispered.

She smiled. "Well I know that! Why couldn't you have just told me that?"

"Well, that's not exactly it…" Lee mumbled.

"Does it have to do with… mating?" she said, taking a wild guess. Lee's eyes got even bigger, if that was possible.

"Y-Yes…" Lee confessed, lowering his head.

"Oh, well… I think I want to ask Tsunade about that… I don't really know anything about that kind of thing, like how that all works… I just don't know," Tori blushed.

"R-Right…" he mumbled. "Why?" He wasn't sure why she would be so curious on the matter.

"W-Well, considering I'll be living among humans for a while, I should at least have a basic understanding of the human anatomy," Tori reasoned and nodded her head, assuring herself almost as much as him in an attempt to justify what she would be doing.

Lee was almost surprised. He knew that she wasn't human, but it never really occurred to him that she never really had an opportunity to learn about that type of thing. She wasn't exactly a medic-nin, so he supposed that made some sense that she didn't know much about it at all.

"Oh… I think I understand," Lee tried to process her strange logic. "How about we go there today instead? The hospital, I mean." He tried cautiously.

Shiseu woke up not long after Naruto and Emi had finished breakfast.

"Good morning, Mama…" he cuddled his mother's arms. A smile crept across her face.  
>"Good morning, sweetie…" she looked at her son lovingly. "Did you sleep well?"<br>"Yes!" the toddler replied enthusiastically.

"Good," she kissed his forehead.

Shiseu put his tiny hands on Emi's swelling tummy. Just then, Emi gasped and Shiseu's face lit up. "Mommy, Mommy, I felt the baby!" He sounded so excited.

"That's your baby sister, Kushina," she explained, smiling.

The little raven haired child hugged his mommy's round belly. "I can't wait to meet my new baby sister!"

Emi smiled, glad that her son was excited for the new baby. "Neither can I honey…"


End file.
